In known drivers for driving light emitting diodes (LEDs), a capacitor having a large capacitance (e.g. in the range of 1 mF to 10 mF) is arranged in parallel with the output. Therefore, even during an inactive phase of the driver, that is to say in the vicinity of the zero crossing, enough energy is made available for the LEDs, such that the latter scarcely perceptively flicker.
What is disadvantageous in this case, however, is that, as a result of the forward voltage of the LEDs, only a portion of the energy stored in the capacitor can be utilized and, consequently, the required capacitance is very high.